Musings on food and life from Beth Bader, the co-author of The Cleaner Plate Club. Ingredients: original recipes, food policy insights, parenting fun, and a dash of humor.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Faster than Fast Food

Following a marathon of holiday events, I am tempted to take down the outdoor Christmas lights and replace them with a lighted sign “over 1 billion served.” In fact, after all that entertaining, I am personally entertaining the idea of a hunger strike, or at least a Lennon-like “sleep-in.” Not because I am protesting anything, just because I could use the rest. But, there are more folks living in “The Kitchen” than just me, and one of them is a demanding toddler. The food must go on.

Unfortunately, so must the work and the housework. And it seems like all my clients saved their best — or worst — for the New Year. January is going to wear me out more than the holidays. What’s a tired working mom to do?

No, not that. No fast food lines for me, especially not after reading Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma. However, I am not above taking some shortcuts at the home range. Especially now that the doldrums of winter have hit, and the local food scene is nearly invisible, but for some meats, milk and eggs. I’ve begun counting the days until spring.

Now is the time for raiding the freezer and pantry for all that good summer bounty that you canned and froze. What? You didn’t have time to can, freeze and dehydrate your own produce supply? Yeah, me either. It’s not easy being superwoman. In fact, it is impossible.

With that thought in mind, here are a few ideas on making a meal in minutes, one-handed, with a screaming toddler on hip. To hell with 30-minute meals. In reality, some nights are more like 30 seconds. It’s faster than fast food and a lot healthier.

And, hey, get some rest, would you? I know I could use it. Post your own quick meal ideas here, I could use some new ones!

Boil water, prepare pasta per directions. Chop tomatoes and basil, mix with mayo. Drain pasta and mix. Give it a couple turns from a pepper mill. Dinner in less than 15 minutes.You can add 1.5 cups of diced, cooked chicken to bump the protein factor. Tastes good cold, the next day for a less than 5-minute meal.

Serve with fruit, a serving of veggies (c’mon, you can heat the frozen ones in a couple minutes), and a slice of whole grain bread and some milk.

Other ideas: Chili Mac and Cheese. One box of organic, wholegrain mac and cheese. One can mild organic chili (turkey or soy, your call), Heat and mix. You can also do this with just plain pasta and some shredded cheese on top. I like Barilla Plus pasta with the Omega-3 and protein.More quick meal approaches:

When you do have time to cook, make it double. A great idea is to make two lasagnas at once. Keep one to serve, and freeze individual portions to have for those emergency nights. It’s much better than prepared frozen entrees, and cheaper. Other dinners that freeze well in small serving-sizes; chili, soups, spaghetti sauce.

In a real pinch, you can prepare Mac and Cheese, then add thawed mixed veggies and diced ham. I use the fettuccini version or white cheddar and add peas and ham. If you buy quality, organic prepared items, you know your serving something better than a fast food meal, even if it is not a home-cooked one from scratch.

Have a great, healthy new year.

Oh, and just for the record, I can't stand "Semi-Homemade." It ranks even lower than 30-minute meals in my food world. Sorry, but I just don't entertain out of a box.

“Besides Nigella Lawson’s “How to Be a Domestic Goddess,” I can’t think of another cookbook that causes me to laugh out loud. From page one, I felt like I was sitting at my table with old friends. This isn’t just a cookbook: it’s an educational arsenal to wield your way with grace and dexterity through the carnival that is the modern American food system…Without increasing my weekly budget, I increased our vegetable consumption at our evening meals by two vegetable dishes a night. It was no longer a battle of eat your veggies,’ but a question of ‘which vegetable would you like to eat tonight?’”

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About Me

The Cleaner Plate Club offers simple solutions, recipes, meal suggestions, and tips to help parents get kids to eat good food and -- guess what? -- enjoy it. With humor and compassion, the authors show readers how to prepare real foods, plan ahead and estimate prep time, and get used to cooking food that doesn't come with printed directions. Their fresh advice will help parents eliminate food waste, plan for leftovers, present foods that are appealing to kids, and quit fighting with their children about food. The Cleaner Plate Club offers kid-tested recipes for every meal, basic vegetable preparations for farmers' market finds, and more healthful recipes for sweets and snacks. Readers will also find shopping strategies, the reasons kids like the foods they do, and vegetable profiles (including nutrition information and tips on selection, storage, and preparation). Expert advice and innovative ideas about feeding kids make this book a must-have for any parent. Fresh, funny, and nonjudgmental, The Cleaner Plate Club is a recipe for healthier kids and happier parents.